1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet recording media for use in inkjet recording methods usually include ink-receiving layers containing binders such as polyvinyl alcohol and inorganic pigments, such as silica and alumina hydrates, held with the binders. The inkjet recording media need to have color developability, moisture resistance, and ink absorbency. Furthermore, the ink-receiving layers need to be resistant to cracking and scratching when the inkjet recording media are transferred in printers.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-15655 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses an inkjet recording medium including a support and an ink-receiving layer disposed thereon. The ink-receiving layer is formed using a coating solution containing at least one water-soluble polyvalent metal salt and an aqueous dispersion of a cationically modified self-emulsifying polymer. The aqueous dispersion has an average particle size of 0.05 μm or less. The self-emulsifying polymer is a cationic urethane polymer.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-336480 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) discloses an inkjet recording medium which includes an ink-receiving layer containing an alumina hydrate and a cationic urethane compound and which has excellent moisture resistance, gas resistance, and light resistance.
Investigations performed by the inventors have shown that the inkjet recording medium, including the ink-receiving layer containing the cationic urethane polymer, disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in ink absorbency during high-speed printing. The investigations have also shown that the inkjet recording medium disclosed in Patent Document 2 has room for improvement in ink absorbency during high-speed printing and the ink-receiving layer has room for improvement in scratch resistance during transferring in a printer.